Kara Swisher’s podcasts draw 2028 hopefuls and growing ad dollars
The tech journalist’s shows have become a stop for Democrats while Pivot heads toward $15 million to $20 million in annual business, Scott Galloway told AP.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
4 min read
Kara Swisher’s podcasts have become a regular stop for prominent Democrats testing messages in the Trump era, according to reporting by The Associated Press. The shift shows how political figures are using long-form podcasts as traditional media loses some of its hold on campaign attention.
Swisher, 63, told AP at her Washington home that presidential candidates are seeking time on her shows. “We get called by all the presidential candidates,” she said. “We’re going to get to all of them.”
AP reported that California Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel have appeared on Swisher’s programs during President Donald Trump’s second term. Swisher hosts “On with Kara Swisher” and co-hosts “Pivot” with entrepreneur Scott Galloway, with the two shows often feeding into each other.
Swisher built her profile over more than three decades covering the technology industry, AP reported. Her record includes getting Steve Jobs and Bill Gates onstage together, pressing Mark Zuckerberg in a widely noted interview and maintaining direct contact with major tech and business figures, including Elon Musk, though AP reported the two are not currently speaking.
Political guests face a sharp interviewer
AP described Swisher’s interviews as a place where politicians can face direct pushback. When Newsom appeared on “Pivot,” Swisher criticized him for not challenging Steve Bannon more forcefully during Bannon’s appearance on Newsom’s own podcast. Newsom later told AP that Swisher “calls out my bulls—-” and sends him unsolicited notes that are “usually right.”
Swisher also pressed Buttigieg on why he did not say sooner that President Joe Biden should not have run for reelection, according to AP. When Buttigieg said he had not been consulted, Swisher replied, “Sure, but you have eyes.”
Harris’ appearance produced another notable exchange, AP reported, when the former vice president sharply criticized policies from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Swisher later said Harris had been more relaxed backstage and urged her to show that side publicly.
Sen. Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat, told AP that appearing with Swisher is “not a layup.” Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, said his own appearance was worthwhile even though Swisher questioned him about whether his criticism of the Trump White House came only after he decided not to seek reelection.
A business built on personality and access
Galloway told AP that “Pivot” began in 2018 as a show about technology and business, but those subjects now regularly overlap with politics. “Show me a big business or tech story, and I’m going to show you a political overlay,” he said.
The show has also become a strong business. Galloway told AP that “Pivot,” structured as a joint venture among Galloway, Swisher and Vox Media, is expected to generate $15 million to $20 million this year with a staff of five.
“Podcasts are the NBA,” Galloway told AP. “There’s a small amount of people making a lot of money.” AP reported that podcasts are the fastest-growing business inside the company formed after James Murdoch’s acquisition involving New York magazine, the Vox Media Podcast Network and the Vox editorial brand.
Swisher told AP she does not see herself as a liberal version of Joe Rogan, whose audience is larger than those of Swisher, Megyn Kelly, Tucker Carlson and “Pod Save America,” according to AP. She said Democrats should use podcasts but warned that success cannot be forced: “The kids like what the kids like.”
Swisher said she wants to reach listeners across political lines and has recently interviewed Tillis and conservative CNN commentator Scott Jennings, according to AP. Kelly McBride of the Poynter Institute told AP that shows like Swisher’s can sit close to formats she would not classify as journalism, but said the distinction turns on whether the work is built to produce fact-based information.
Swisher described her own approach to AP as “reported analysis,” citing the late tech writer Om Malik as an influence. She said her style depends on being open about viewpoints and flaws rather than hiding them.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.